Aznavour has sung for presidents, popes and royalty, as well as at humanitarian events. In response to the 1988 Armenian earthquake, he founded the charitable organization Aznavour for Armenia along with his long-time friend impresario Levon Sayan. In 2009, he was appointed ambassador of Armenia to Switzerland, as well as Armenia's permanent delegate to the United Nations at Geneva. On 24 August 2017, Aznavour was awarded the 2,618th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. On 17 September 2018, his last concert took place in NHK Hall, Tokyo.
Charles Aznavour died on 1 October 2018.
Charles Aznavour was perhaps the best-known French music hall entertainer in the world -- renowned the world over for the bittersweet love songs he has written and sung, which seem to embody the essence of French popular song, and also for his appearances on screen in such wildly divergent fare as Shoot the Piano Player, Candy, and The Tin Drum. His status as the quintessential French popular culture icon is something of an irony for a man who identifies himself most closely with his Armenian heritage. His father was a singer and sometime-restaurateur, while his mother was an actress and part-time seamstress. His father's singing, done in a notably impassioned style, heavily influenced Aznavour's approach to singing as a boy. Although he had a voracious appetite for music, he also had a serious impediment growing up, in the form of a paralyzed vocal cord that gave his voice a raspy quality. He channeled some of his energy into theater, making both his stage and screen debuts at age nine, in 1933, in the theater piece Un bon petit diable and in the film La guerre des gosses. As an adolescent, he danced in nightclubs and sold newspapers, as well as touring with theatrical companies, and he wrote a nightclub act in partnership with Pierre Roche -- Aznavour wrote the lyrics to their songs and it was through that material that he began his singing career. Early on, he learned to overcome his fears about his vocal limitations, in part with help from singing legend Édith Piaf, for whom he worked as a chauffeur, among other capacities; with her help, he developed a style that suited his capabilities and played to his strengths and also continued writing songs in earnest, some of which were performed by Piaf.
His success came very slowly, however. Aznavour at first found some difficulty being accepted as a composer in France or anywhere else. His compositions, although considered tame by any modern standard, were regarded as too risqué for French radio and were banned from the airwaves for a decade or more, from the late '40s through the end of the 1950s; American publishers seemed equally reticent about them, as he discovered on a visit to New York in 1948. That trip did yield his first performing engagement in the city, however, at the Cafe Society Downtown in Greenwich Village. For the next decade, Aznavour made his living as a performer in second-tier clubs and middle- or bottom-of-the-bill berths on three continents. His mix of daringly original and frank love songs, coupled with a limited but very expressive singing style, left audiences somewhat bewildered at first.
His breakthrough came in 1956, during a vaudeville engagement in Casablanca, where the audience reaction was so positive that Aznavour was moved to headliner status. After this, it became easier for the singer to find better engagements in France; by 1958 he even had a recording contract. He made his screen debut that same year in a dramatic role, playing an epileptic in George Franju's La tête contre les murs. He also composed music for Alex Joff's Du rififi chez les femmes in 1958; From there, he moved on to bigger roles in better movies, including Jean Cocteau's Testament of Orpheus and Francois Truffaut's Shoot the Piano Player. The latter movie turned Aznavour into a screen star in France and opened the way for his breakthrough in America. He sang at Carnegie Hall in the early '60s and followed this up in 1965 with a one-man show, The World of Charles Aznavour, at the Ambassador Hotel in New York, which drew rave notices from audiences and critics alike. By that time, the once-struggling singer had secured his first American LP release with the similarly titled album The World of Charles Aznavour on Reprise Records, the label founded and run by Frank Sinatra.
Aznavour would be the last to compare himself with those whom he regards as truly gifted vocalists, such as Sinatra and Mel Tormé, preferring to think of himself as a composer who also happens to sing. His style of performing has been compared variously to Maurice Chevalier and Sinatra and has remained enduringly popular for four decades. Almost all of Aznavour's songs deal with love and its permutations, running the gamut from upbeat, joyous pieces such as Après l'amour and J'ai perdu la tête to the dark-hued J'en déduis que je t'aime and Bon anniversaire. A teetotaler and a racing car enthusiast, Aznavour has been married three times and has four children.
Sarah
Charles Aznavour Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tes vieux parents, tes frères, tes surs
Nous avons tant de peine au cœur
Sarah, Sarah reviens vers nous
Mamie ne cesse de pleurer
Sa grande enfant, son adore
Tu fus toujours sa préféré
De quoi avais-tu donc besoin
Chez nous tu ne manquais de rien
Pourquoi es-tu partie si loin?
Ici quel vide tout coup
Papy commence être vieux
Il a DJ des mauvais yeux
Te sachant l il irait mieux
Sarah, Sarah reviens vers nous
Dans la boutique do tailleur
Tes vieux parents, tes frères, tes surs
Retrouveront l'ancien bonheur
Sarah, Sarah si tu reviens
Quand attablés les soirs d'hiver
Lorsqu'un un Mamie nous sert
Nous sentons qu'il manque un couvert
Sarah, Sarah que c'est le tien
On lit tes lettres d’Amérique
T'as fait un parti magnifique
Alors tes sentiments s'expliquent
Tu veux oublier d’où tu viens
Hélène aura bientôt vingt ans
Elle s'en ira peut-être avant
On ne vit pas pour ses parents
Sarah, Sarah je le sais bien
Sois donc heureuse et sans regret
Mais ne nous oublie tout fait
Tu as la vie dont tu rêvais
Sarah, Sarah tant pis pour nous
The song "Sarah" by Charles Aznavour tells a story of a family mourning the absence of their loved one named Sarah, who has left them and traveled to America to chase her dreams. The family members gather at a tailor's shop and express their sadness and longing for Sarah to come back home. The singer, speaking on behalf of the family, laments Sarah's decision to leave when she seemingly had everything she needed at home. The family matriarch, Mamie, cries for her favorite child, and Papy, who is growing old, wishes for Sarah's return. Despite their hurt, the family members acknowledge that they understand Sarah's desire to live her own life and pursue her dreams.
Through Aznavour's powerful lyrics, we can sense the family's strong attachment to their beloved Sarah, who is now far away. The lines "Nous avons tant de peine au coeur" and "Quand attablés les soirs d'hiver, Lorsqu'un un Mamie nous sert, Nous sentons qu'il manque un couvert, Sarah, Sarah que c'est le tien" express the family's sadness and how they feel incomplete without Sarah's presence. The lyrics also reflect the struggles of immigrants and how their pursuit of a better life in a foreign land can mean leaving their families, who will always hold a special place in their hearts.
Overall, the song "Sarah" is a touching expression of a family's love and sorrow for their dear one who has left them far behind. Aznavour's lyrics convey the family's affection for Sarah and their understanding of her quest for a better life. The song is a poignant reminder of the importance of family and the sacrifices we make to pursue our dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
Dans la boutique du tailleur
In the tailor's shop where you used to be with your old parents, brothers, and sisters.
Tes vieux parents, tes frères, tes sœurs
Your elderly parents and siblings whom you left behind when you went away.
Nous avons tant de peine au cœur
We have so much sorrow in our hearts due to your departure.
Sarah, Sarah reviens vers nous
Sarah, Sarah come back to us because we miss you so much.
Mamie ne cesse de pleurer
Grandma keeps crying since her beloved child, you, are not with us anymore.
Sa grande enfant, son adorée
You were her favorite, dear granddaughter.
Tu fus toujours sa préférée
You were always her favorite one, Sarah.
Sarah, Sarah reviens vers nous
Please come back to us Sarah since we all miss you so much.
De quoi avais-tu donc besoin
What did you need so much that you left us all behind?
Chez nous tu ne manquais de rien
You lacked nothing with us, and yet you left.
Pourquoi es-tu partie si loin?
Why did you go so far away from us?
Ici quel vide tout à coup
Your sudden departure left a big void in our lives here.
Papy commence à être vieux
Grandpa is getting old, Sarah.
Il a déjà des mauvais yeux
His eyesight is failing him, and he needs your care and love.
Te sachant là, il irait mieux
If you were here, he would feel much better.
Sarah, Sarah reviens vers nous
Please come back to us, dear Sarah.
Dans la boutique du tailleur
In the tailor's shop where you used to be with your old parents, brothers, and sisters.
Tes vieux parents, tes frères, tes sœurs
Your elderly parents and siblings whom you left behind when you went away.
Retrouveront l'ancien bonheur
They will regain the happiness we all used to share when you come back.
Sarah, Sarah si tu reviens
If you come back, Sarah, we will be so happy and grateful.
Quand attablés les soirs d'hiver
When we sit down to eat during the winter evenings.
Lorsqu'une Mamie nous sert
When our grandma serves us food.
Nous sentons qu'il manque un couvert
We feel like a plate is missing from the table without you here with us.
Sarah, Sarah que c'est le tien
That plate is yours, Sarah. Please come back to complete our family meal.
On lit tes lettres d'Amérique
We read your letters from America.
Tu as fait un parti magnifique
You have created a magnificent political party over there.
Alors tes sentiments s'expliquent
We understand that you are fulfilled and happy in what you are doing over there.
Tu veux oublier d'où tu viens
You want to forget where you come from, Sarah. But we cannot forget you.
Hélène aura bientôt vingt ans
Your sister Hélène is almost twenty now.
Elle s'en ira peut-être avant
She might leave us too, just like you did.
On ne vit pas pour ses parents
We cannot live our lives just to please our parents.
Sarah, Sarah je le sais bien
I know it well, Sarah. But it still hurts to not have you here with us.
Sois donc heureuse et sans regret
Be happy and without regrets, Sarah.
Mais ne nous oublie pas tout à fait
But don't forget us entirely, Sarah.
Tu as la vie dont tu rêvais
You have the life you dreamed of, Sarah.
Sarah, Sarah tant pis pour nous
If you don't come back, then it's our loss, Sarah.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHARLES AZNAVOUR, JACQUES PLANTE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@felicitapratica
merci, je m' appelle Sara. Charles est fantastic pour moi.
@longuetarlette3072
une de mes preferee oublié depuis logtemps
@hemedabdu3351
ecxelente triste chanson
@e.p.-brohltal-eifel-rheinl9712
(3.10.2018),(DE)
@tboc7902
RIP géant à petite taille
@alphathealpha
:)
@pamelie5671
sublime impossible de ne pas pleurer trop belle MONSIEUR AZANVOUR COMMENT NE PAS PENSER A VOUS IMPOSSIBLE ON VOUE AIME
@pamelie5671
une merveille on pense a nos enfants qui nous quitterons aussi trop belle et triste
@pamelie5671
j ai trop l angoise quand j entant cette merveilleuse chanson triste